Why in the News?
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has officially notified the Cashless Treatment of Road Accident Victims Scheme, 2025, which came into force on May 5, 2025.
In 2023, India reported over 4.80 lakh road accidents and 1.72 lakh fatalities, highlighting the urgent need for such a scheme.
About the Cashless Treatment Scheme for Road Accident Victims, 2025:
- The scheme provides financial coverage up to ₹1.5 lakh per person, per accident, for a maximum of seven days from the date of the accident.
- All victims, including those without health insurance, are eligible for treatment under this scheme.
- This initiative was introduced following a Supreme Court directive, urging action under Section 162(2) of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988.
- The scheme aims to deliver critical care during the “golden hour”, defined under Section 2(12A) as the first hour after a traumatic injury, when prompt treatment can save lives.
Key Features of the Scheme:
- Treatment must be provided immediately and is fully covered up to ₹1.5 lakh for up to 7 days from the accident.
- Designated hospitals are required to treat victims without delay or demanding any upfront payment.
- Non-designated hospitals may only offer initial stabilisation, as defined in the guidelines.
- The State Road Safety Council serves as the nodal agency for implementation at the state level.
- The Council will work with the National Health Authority (NHA) to onboard hospitals, monitor care, and ensure timely reimbursements.
- Additional hospitals may be designated by State Health Agencies, beyond those already listed under Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY.
- Hospitals must file payment claims via an online portal, attaching all required documentation.
- The State Health Agency will process claims and may approve, partially approve, or reject them, with reasons provided.
- A national steering committee, chaired by the MoRTH Secretary and NHA CEO, will oversee the scheme’s implementation and compliance.
| [UPSC 2023] Consider the following actions:
1. Detection of car crash/collision which results in the deployment of airbags almost instantaneously 2. Detection of accidental free fall of a laptop towards the ground which results in the immediate turning off of the hard drive. 3. Detection of the tilt of the smart phone which results in the rotation of display between portrait and landscape mode. In how many of the above actions is the function of accelerometer required? Options: (a) Only one (b) Only two (c) All three* (d) None |
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